Justicia Shipena
As European Union foreign ministers prepare to meet later this month, Namibia is calling for decisive action to bring peace and end the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Namibia urged the European Union to address the situation in the Gaza Strip and push for a ceasefire for the Palestinian people.
This call came during the Europe Day celebration held in Windhoek on Thursday.
Every month, EU foreign affairs ministers meet at the Council of the European Union for the Foreign Affairs Council (FAC).
International and Trade Deputy Minister Jennelly Matundu said Namibia hopes the upcoming meeting will lead to a ceasefire and lasting peace in Gaza, given the EU’s influence and commitment to human rights, peace, and unity.
“The long-term goal remains a two-state solution to ensure self-determination for the Palestinian people,” she said.
The Israeli–Palestinian conflict continues as a military and political struggle over land and self-determination.
Media reports on Sunday indicated that at least 135 people have been killed in recent hours as the Israeli army targets residential homes and camps sheltering Palestinians.
Matundu highlighted the suffering in Gaza, where a blockade since early March has left civilians, including women and children, without access to food, aid, and basic necessities.
Namibia calls the situation a humanitarian catastrophe that must end urgently.
Namibia also expressed concern about conflicts across Africa, including in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, and South Sudan.
Matundu praised the EU’s ongoing support for peace efforts aimed at resolving these conflicts through negotiation and peaceful means.
Namibia and the European Union share a strong bilateral relationship based on trade, investment, sustainable development, social justice, and human rights.
Since Namibia gained independence in 1990, the EU has become one of its major trading partners.
The EU also provides financial support through programs like the European Development Fund (EDF), which backs Namibia’s development goals, including poverty reduction.
Beyond trade and development, Namibia welcomes the EU’s work in advancing gender equality and peace initiatives.
European Union Ambassador to Namibia Ana Beatriz Martins reaffirmed the EU’s commitment to multilateralism and the rules-based international order.
“In an increasingly fragmented world, the EU stands firmly with the United Nations, defending cooperation over confrontation and the rule of law over the law of the strong.”
She outlined the EU’s role in addressing global crises.
This includes calling for ceasefires and supporting mediation in Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo, urging immediate humanitarian access and political solutions in Gaza, where the EU is the largest humanitarian donor and recently pledged N$33 trillion to support the Palestinian Authority, and supporting Ukraine against aggression; and advocating for just and sustainable peace.
“This conviction that international law and humanitarian law must be respected, regardless of geography, guides our partnership with Namibia and Africa as a whole,” Martins added.
Celebrating 25 years of EU-AU relations, the Martins expressed anticipation for the upcoming EU-AU Ministerial Meeting in Brussels and the summit later this year in Africa.
During the League of Arab States meeting on Friday, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres warned about the worsening situation in Gaza and the urgent need to revive the two-state solution.
“That goal has never been more imperative – but unfortunately, it is also never more distant,” Guterres said.
He stated that we are witnessing the disappearance of a two-state future and urged efforts to halt this trend.
“In Gaza, the situation for Palestinians is beyond description … beyond atrocious … and beyond inhumane,” he said.
Guterres denounced the policy of siege and starvation, stating that it “destroys international law”.
He called for the blockade against humanitarian aid to end immediately.
He added, “Nothing justifies the atrocious 7 October terror attacks by Hamas. But nothing justifies the collective punishment of the Palestinian people.”
Guterres called for a permanent ceasefire, the unconditional release of all hostages, the free flow of humanitarian aid, and irreversible action toward a two-state solution.
